The printer nobody owns
A shared printer sits in a corridor. Everyone uses it. Nobody looks after it.
It still has the password it came with. Its software is three years old. Printed pay slips sit in the tray all afternoon.
Which of these problems do you fix first? Scoring gives a fair answer.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can score the risks on a device and give each a red, amber or green rating.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Network | devices linked so they can share data |
| LAN | a local area network: the linked devices in one building |
| Asset | anything of value that you protect |
| Likelihood | how likely a risk is to happen, from 1 to 5 |
| Severity | how bad the harm would be, from 1 to 5 |
| Risk score | likelihood times severity |
| Scoring matrix | a grid that turns the two numbers into a score and a colour |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsHave a go: your answers are marked here and then forgotten. Sign in if you would like your score kept, and to pick up where you left off.Sign in to keep your score
Your answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
The process, step by step
A security risk assessment on a device follows set steps.
- Identify the risks that might happen to it.
- Score each one for likelihood and severity.
- Multiply to get the risk score.
- Turn the score into a red, amber or green rating.
Worked example: the corridor printer
| Risk | Likelihood | Severity | Score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default admin password is never changed | 4 | 2 | 8 | Amber |
| Pay slips are left in the tray | 4 | 3 | 12 | Red |
| Old printer software has a known flaw | 3 | 3 | 9 | Amber |
| Printer is used to reach other devices on the LAN | 2 | 4 | 8 | Amber |
| Lightning damages it | 1 | 2 | 2 | Green |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Check
Have a go
Check
3 questionsHave a go: your answers are marked here and then forgotten. Sign in if you would like your score kept, and to pick up where you left off.Sign in to keep your score
Your answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.